ESU students surprised to be so close to inauguration

Tuesday

Jan 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM

For seven East Stroudsburg University students, Monday's inauguration was an event they won't soon forget. They weren't immediately sure whether they would be able to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration, but with the help of ESU associate political science Professor Kimberly Adams, they got tickets.

CHRISTINA TATU

For seven East Stroudsburg University students, Monday's inauguration was an event they won't soon forget.

The students have been in Washington, D.C., since Jan. 12 for a Presidential Inauguration Seminar put on by The Washington Center.

They weren't immediately sure whether they would be able to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration, but with the help of ESU associate political science Professor Kimberly Adams, they got tickets.

"The ceremony itself was the icing on the cake. At that point, everyone came together to see this president get inaugurated and they put aside their differences," said student Amy Majani.

The group got up at 3 a.m. Monday to get a good spot on the National Mall.

There were only about 50 to 60 other people waiting in line at that time, said student Kwaku Adjei-Bohyen.

"Within 10 minutes, the whole place got so packed, it went around the block," he said.

Security guards didn't open the gates until 6 a.m.

The students went through the first security gate where they showed their tickets, then waited another 45 minutes before going through a second security gate where guards checked their bags and had them walk through metal detectors.

Because they were there so early, they were able to get a good spot, about 300 feet from the ceremony, right behind where the media were positioned, Adjei-Bohyen said.

"You understand why people get up so early to be part of it. It's a whole new feeling. You are proud of the celebration — everyone is talking and everyone is laughing," he said.

It was 4:30 a.m., cold and dark when the group arrived, said student Myia Woodson.

"It was completely dark so we were taking pictures of the Capitol building with our camera phones and all of a sudden the sun was rising," she said.

Woodson's favorite part of the event was when the students ran into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s son, Martin Luther King III, and his wife, Arndrea Waters, as they were leaving the inauguration.

"I think the major symbol today was unity," she said. "We saw the Speaker of the House, Republicans and Democrats, Vice President Joe Biden and the justices of the Supreme Court."

Student Ryan Stevens admits he didn't vote for Obama, but said he still appreciated the inauguration because it's a historical event.

"I think my favorite part was when they introduced Obama — just everyone went crazy. It was kind of a shift from the election and the debates where everyone was so polarized and divided, and now everyone was cheering for Obama," he said.

"I was a little hesitant, like, 'Oh, I'm going to be the only Republican there,' but there were other Republicans at the program. It definitely exceeded my expectations," Stevens said.

Woodson feels changed by the whole experience.

"Aside from the seminar, just being in D.C. and seeing it up close and personal, it makes you realize there is so much more to life than sitting in a classroom," she said.

Students Tyler Day, Lyesha Fleming and Nathaniel Sanders also attended the seminar and inauguration.

The students will head back to East Stroudsburg this morning.

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